Anthea Elsword and the Prophecy
by liviaxellen
Summary: Anthea Elsword, a total background character in the main scheme of life. With an increase in her popularity points and the eyes of the Slytherin Prince, to put it nicely, shit hits the fan. Follow Anthea through her last three years at Hogwarts as she battles catty pugs, social norms, and the Dark Lord's rise.
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Unknown,_

 _Tragedy has always found a way. Father left, brother's in a coma, school transfer, you name it. My mom always said that I had a knack for finding the positive in everything, and I really do try my best to, but sometimes it doesn't work._

"Anthea, we have to leave if you want to make the train," my mother yelled from downstairs. "I am leaving in 10 minutes with or without you. I have friends I want to see."

"Coming, Mum!" I yell back.

 _You see, my mother always attends these formal events and has all these superficial friends. All they do is hang off their husband's arms and drink wine and do the laugh. You know that airy, I'm-better-than-you laugh. God, I hate it. She keeps these ties to have a good social status. I try my best to accept that my role in life will be the same as her's. Getting wine-drunk and making excuses. She has no real job and relies on her inheritance to provide for us. Okay, well, I'm off to school. It's my second year at my new school. Wish me luck._

I quickly shoved my journal into my messenger bag, grabbed my trunk, and lugged everything down the stairs. I haphazardly shoved my hair out of my face and stood in front of my mum. "Hey, mum, how ya doin'?" I ask cheekily.

She looked down and huffed at my appearance. "Really, Thea? Take those earrings out." I tugged on the plug and looked down at my outfit.

"But they make the outfit. Plus, it's been ten minutes. Don't we need to leave? You do have to keep up your public image." I grabbed all my belongings and my carrier for my kitten, Nerida, and entered my living room. I double-checked that I had everything I needed for the school year and checked again to be safe. I stepped up to the fireplace, then grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the bowl on the mantle and yelled, "King's Cross Station." As soon as the fire turned emerald green, I stepped through.

"How many times have I told you to let me go first, Anthea?" Mum scolded when she stepped out on the other fireplace. I ignored her and looked around the station in wonder at the bustle of all the families until I was shaken out of my aimless thought. "Thea, you will be the death of me one day. Now, let's go. I need you to become acquainted with some friends of mine." I groaned and followed her to a bunch of women who were gripping their children.

"Mayra, it's about time we met your gorgeous daughter," one woman said. Her hair was split, blonde and brown, with dark eyes and she had the aura of an aristocrat. Her arms were rest upon her son's shoulders. He had the same vibrant blonde hair and aura to him. "What is your name honey?"

"My name is Anthea, ma'am," I said.

"I am Narcissa Malfoy and this is my son, Draco." I looked at the boy. He's a few inches taller than I am but looks about the same age. "He will be a fifth year in Slytherin. And you?"

"The same. I believe we had classes together last year. I transferred from Durmstrang to Hogwarts last year," I explained. I glanced at the time and then at the train. The steady flow of kids getting on slowly trickled down, so I gathered up my trunk and bags. "Well, it looks like the train is leaving soon, so we must get on. Goodbye, Mum. I will write!" I kissed her cheek and bowed my head towards Narcissa. "It was a pleasure meeting you, ma'am." She nods back and smiles. I walk towards the train with Malfoy Junior behind me. I stumble aboard and find an empty compartment. To my surprise, Malfoy follows. He sits across from me and I immediately realize this will not be a peaceful ride.

"What?" he sneered at me.

"You're the one who sat with me, I should be asking what," I retorted.

He rolled his eyes and started firing off questions. "Who are you? Why have I never seen you before? Why did you transfer?" he finished out of breath.

"Number one, I am Anthea Elsword, Slytherin fifth year. Number two, you really have seen me, you just don't use your eyes. Number three, I don't know you well enough to answer that question." He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. "Um, no. My turn for interrogation. Who are _you_? Why did my mum want me to meet your mum, thus me meeting you? Why are you sitting with me?" I fired back.

"A, Draco Malfoy, Slytherin fifth year. B, we are both from upstanding pureblood families; we are bound to have met. C, clearly, this was one of the only compartments left, and it is convenient for myself and you," he said. I snorted and leaned back in my seat.

"How is this better for us?" I replied. I opened up my bag to continue writing in my journal.

"Well, if you haven't noticed in the past year, I have become quite popular with the ladies," he said as readjusted his collar. My face morphed into one of disgust. "And, well, Parkinson has decided that, whenever I am alone, she will provide me company. I would rather that not be the case today. Besides, how many friends do you really have? In this world, you must have connections with other powerful families. I, being the gentleman I am, will be your first."

"Wow, thank you for the glorious image boost and vote of confidence. I don't need your friendship to succeed in life. I do not need 'connections.' I can provide for myself," I said indignantly.

"No, you can't. You are a woman. You have no future other than exactly what your mother and mine do now. You are supposed to marry a pureblood power figure, then spend the rest of your days providing heirs and social connections for your husband," he scoffed. As Malfoy continued, I fumed.

"How dare you! My mother is currently running out all of our money by going to those ridiculous functions. I will marry whomever I want and do whatever I want with my life, and I don't need a mama's boy like you to dictate who I am," I snapped.

Malfoy scoffed and said, "You will never succeed."

"Watch me, asshole," I replied. "I recommend you shut your mouth before we enter school grounds so I don't hex you. Now, I'm going to ignore you and pull out my journal to write to my mum."

"Fine," he said and leaned back into his seat, looking out the window. _Asshole,_ I thought. I wrote a simple note to my mum and, as soon as I finished, I looked out the window and saw the castle growing in the distance. I ruffled through my bag, found my robes, and quickly left to put them on. As we neared the castle, I heard the rustle of my peers and began preparing myself for a new year at school. _Hopefully, Potter won't ruin too much this year._


	2. Chapter 2

After a long ride to the school, I was finally stepping through the large, decorative doors into the Great Hall. My luggage has already been transported to my dorm. I sat down at the Slytherin table along with the rest of my peers and waved at the few people I made small friendships with last year. I heard a scoff come from my right so I glanced over and saw the one person that made my insides lurch: Pansy Parkinson. I groaned. "What do you want Parkinson?"

"I saw you sit with Draco on train ride here and I giving you your final warning to stay away from him. He is my future husband. Our parents already arranged for us to be married when we graduate from Hogwarts. Back off, whore," she snapped.

"Well, it's a good thing I don't want him, then," I snapped back. "He's a sexist asshole. You two are fitting together and I wish you luck in your unloving, vanilla marriage."

"You bitch!" she exclaimed. "The only reason you hate true love is that your father left you because your mother is a drunk slut who sells herself in order to keep her public image." I stood up sharply and delivered a well-deserved bitch slap.

"You ever talk about my mother like that again and you will be receiving more than a slap," I said sharply as she clutched her bright cheek. A few Slytherins noticed the interaction, but our encounter was cut short by Dumbledore standing up to his owl pedestal and started the sorting ceremony. After the ceremony, we all ate and I sat fuming. A couple people came by and patted me on the back, saying phrases along the lines of "she deserved it." Soon enough, everyone was getting antsy and Dumbledore started his yearly speech on new rules and who the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor of the year is.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the ground is out of bound to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the for hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number nor are a number of other things..."

At this point, I laid my head down the table and tuned out Dumbledore. The whole encounter with Parkinson had taken an emotional toll on me, so I really just wanted to go to bed for the night. My head shot up when I heard a "hem, hem." _Who the bloody hell does this woman think she is for interrupting Dumbledore, but more importantly, my nap?_

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome." Immediately, I realized I would not like this woman and tuned her out, picking at my food. I looked around at my classmates and noticed they were totally enraptured by this woman. _Oh lord have mercy, this is going really be a rough year._ Umbridge kept going on and on about how we will all be friends and how the Ministry is supportive of our education. "Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." _Damn, this woman is a nutter._

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore said. More statements about Quidditch and we were finally dismissed back to our common rooms. I walked back to the cool, dank Slytherin common room and found a large chair in the corner. I pulled out my journal and wrote an entry for the first day.

 _Dear Unknown,_

 _How can one person be so rude? Pansy Parkinson is an absolute bitch. How dare she say that about mother! My father left when I was young. I am not really sure why. Mom said that, the day after Christmas Day, he went off somewhere unknown. Kane Elsword was a good man, as far as I know. He left us a good sum of money, and it was good that he did. After the accident with Brax... we needed it. God, I know it is only the first day, but I wish I had my summer back so I could see him. He is my best friend and knows me better than anyone else. If the year is going to be anything like it was tonight, I'm going to be checking into the Hospital Wing for numerous doses of stress relief. Drugs, hell yeah. Anyways, Umbitch will probably be an absolute nightmare, but what Malfoy said has gotten me thinking. Maybe I do need connections. Being pleasant to Umbridge and classmates of all houses will be my best bet. If father never comes back, we are going to run out of money soon and I will need a job. Maybe I can work at the Ministry? I don't know._

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder. I shot up to look at the dickwad who interrupted me, but I softened when I saw it was a third year named Astoria. Still, I was annoyed. "Yes?" I asked.

"Sorry for interrupting you, but I wanted to say nice job on slapping Pansy. I've been wanting to do it since I first got here, but never did. My sister tries to stay in her good graces and I never wanted to ruin that," she said softly, never meeting my eyes.

"What has Parkinson done to you?" I questioned.

"Well, um, she has always been mean to me and even pushed me around," she said while looking down. Instantly, my anger levels rose. Who would be mean to an innocent child?

"Astoria, if she ever is mean to you again, I want you to tell me and I will take care of it. No one hurts fellow Slytherins, even if they are one," I said as I placed my hands on her shoulders. She smiled up at me and muttered a thanks before running off to her friends. I decided that today has been rough enough so I went up to my dorm and fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: The speeches were directly copied from the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book with some alterations by me.


	3. Chapter 3

As September rolled on, I became acclimated to the work load, the new material, and Umbridge. I've heard her detentions are absolute hell. I've tried my best to stay on her good side, and it seems to be working. Potter has gotten detention often and his marks are trashed. My marks have been fairly good and borderline amazing. She seems to grade my work fairly well. Mum has wrote me tons and has given me updates on Braxton. Parkinson has left Astoria and I alone for the most part. There has been a few issues, but I usually just threaten her until she scoffs and walks away.

Since slapping Pansy, my popularity has slightly risen. Turns out, not many people like her all that much. Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass, and Tracey Davis are the only ones on her side. Greengrass pisses me off because she still tries to be friends with Parkinson despite the fact that she bullies her sister.

What Malfoy said on the train about making connections has started eating away at me. I entered Hogwarts when everyone had already formed their cliques, making it hard to fit in anywhere. Draco has his little group of Blaise Zabini, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle. Crabbe and Goyle follow him around like little mindless beasts. They eat everything and anything. On his arm is the she-devil herself: Parkinson. Malfoy and Parkinson use their prefect duties to go off in cupboards past curfew to snog. Hell, Malfoy is now being called the "Slytherin Prince." I swear he came up with that name and threatened a first year to spread that around.

So, to help make connections, I've become a bit more flirty. A couple boys have started coming my way, saying that I have "matured" over summer and that they didn't want to approach me last year because I was "an unknown." I'm calling bullshit. I smile more, unbutton my shirt by one or two buttons, and well, make myself more desirable. Yet, despite their lies, I still play along, even if just a little. God, if Braxton saw me, he would be so disappointed. I wish he was here with me. Until he is, I have to make connections now to prepare for later. If mother continues the way she is financially, no family of power will want to associate with us.

Finally, the routine of school being in session had settled. So far, there has been no major disturbances with Potter, except for his need to outright claim that Voldemort is back in front of Umbridge. She punished him and we all moved on.

After a long day of classes, I sit at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, talking to another fifth year by the name of Miles Woodrow. "Hey, how did you do on the Transfiguration essay?" I ask.

"Hey, Thea - I got an E. How about you?" he replied with that charming smile of his.

"I got an O," I said, returning the smile.

"Of course, you did. They always say that Granger girl is the smartest witch of our age, but you are either just as smart or even smarter than her," he said back.

I blushed and said, "Oh, that is not true. I can't 'see' for shit in Divination." He laughed.

"The only person thing I can "see" is the back of my eyelids in that class!"

Suddenly, Dumbledore tapped on his glass and rose to his podium. The entire school listened intently. "This year, as a change, we will be holding a Halloween formal ball," he said with a smile on his face. Immediately, all the girls started chattering with their friends and all the boys groaned. The Headmaster tapped on his glass to once again get the hall's attention and everyone went silent. "Now, this will be held on the Saturday before Halloween. There will be a strict curfew of 10pm for fourth years and below and 12am for fifth years and above. The dress code is costumes. Please, wear a mask to provide a sense of mysteriousness to the night. Parents have been notified, so, if you do need a costume, you can owl home. There will be a Hogsmeade trip the Saturday before the dance for those wishing to purchase their costume then," he explained. "Thank you, and may the night shed light on the hidden personalities of Hogwarts." Everyone returned to their conversations and I turned to Miles.

"Well, how about that?" I said. _This will be the perfect opportunity to suck up to some purebloods,_ I thought, then paused. _Why am I actually listening to Malfoy?_

"This will be interesting," he said back. I don't have to worry about Miles asking me to go. He has a huge, flaming crush on a fifth year Hufflepuff named Jonathan Daniels. He hides his sexuality from his parents, but, after I opened up about my lesbian Aunt Gracie, he let me in on his secret.

"Certainly," I replied. We parted our ways and worked on finishing our meals. I peacefully ate while finishing my homework for the next day. At some point, I looked up to check my surroundings and found that one of the more disgusting males I've encountered was staring at me.

Theodore Nott is a creep. He is also one of my classmates who was born into a well-known pureblood family. I know that his mother has died recently because Mum was one of her "friends." I turned away, ignoring him. Once I had finished my meal, I packed all of my homework so that I could go the dungeons to finish more of it.

When I arrived, I found a empty desk in the corner and laid out my Potions work. _Why did Snape have to assign so much?_ I poured over it until I felt a grubby hand land on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Nott sneering down at me.

"Hello, Theodore. How are you today?" I asked cordially. No matter how much he disgusts me, he is still influential.

"Hello, Thea. I am great. How are you?" he replied.

"I'm just peachy. Do you need something? I am in the middle of the Potions work," I said back. As we continue talking, I see Malfoy and Parkinson stand up from their seats by the fireplace. They appear to be arguing.

"Well, since we now have a Halloween dance to attend, would you like to go with me?" Nott asked. _Are you fucking kidding me? Oh god - how the fuck can I get out of this?_ I thought in a panic. "We are both from powerful families, and it would make sense for us to be at the dance together," he continued.

"Well, um," I started and looked over at Malfoy. He appeared to be uncomfortable and I overheard him say something about the dance. "Someone has already asked me, and I have yet to give them my answer, but I was going to go with them," I finished quickly.

"Oh, yeah? Who?" he inquired.

"Hey, Malfoy!" I yelled over the chaos of Slytherins doing their homework. "I have decided that I will accompany you to the Halloween dance, like you asked." As soon as the word dance left my mouth, the entire room went silent.

"You're going with that slut?" shrieked Parkinson. Nott and Malfoy both looked at me, Nott with disbelief and Malfoy with relief.

"Thank you for your answer, Elsword. I will talk to you later about plans and such," he responded. He gathered up his things and began heading to the male dormitories, but stopped when Parkinson started to fly at me. I cut her off by grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back, pinning her to a wall. "Oh, and Pansy? I would prefer that my date was not injured for the dance. Please, do not attack her again," he finished before walking up the stairs.

"You whore! Draco was supposed to go with me!" she screamed, tears starting running down her cheeks.

"Well, it looks like he wants a bit of fire in his life, not a vanilla, fairy-tale happy ending with you," I said, letting her go and flipping my long, fiery red hair over my shoulder. She looked at me, humphed, and walked to her dorm with Bulstrode and Davis following behind her. Greengrass gave me a small smile and followed them. I turned back to Nott and finally answered his question: "Sorry, Theodore. Malfoy asked before you and, as you can see, I said yes." He scoffed and walked away, probably to his dorm. I smiled and began to finish my potions work so that I could get around to writing a journal entry.

 _Dear Unknown,_

 _This is perfect. I can piss off Parkinson, make those connections, and let loose for a night. I'm actually looking forward to this. Thank god I got out of going with Nott. I seriously did not need that. Parkinson really needs to learn how to keep her hands to herself. She'll actually get hurt someday. Okay, I really need to write mum about this. She will be so happy I'm going with Malfoy._


	4. Chapter 4

Chatter about the Halloween Formal continued throughout the month. At some point, Astoria ambushed me about what happened that day in the common room. I was in the library working on a Herbology analysis when she said, "OMG, Thea! What you did to Pansy was amazing! I can't believe you did that!" Her friends around her started nodding excitedly. My face lit up at her words.

"Thank you, Astoria," I replied. "Do you have a date yet?" She giggled.

"Not yet, but I hope Bryce Babineaux asks me."

"What about you girls?" I asked to her group of friends. There were three of them, two from Slytherin and one from Ravenclaw.

"No, we don't yet. If no one gets a date, we are all going as a group," the Ravenclaw said. I smiled at her and looked at Astoria.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked. She nodded and quickly said bye to her friends, telling them that she would see them later to study. "Go ahead and sit down. I don't bite."

She sat in the seat across from me and, knowing what I'd ask, said, "No, Pansy hasn't been harassing me much." At this, I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah? Then, why did I hear that she spilled your ink everywhere the other day? And, afterwards, shoved you into a wall? I hear things honey - you can't keep much from me."

"I can't say anything! Daph always turns an eye and, if I write Mum, Daphne always says that I am lying. What do I do, Thea?" she said with tears beginning to run down her face.

I pulled her over to my chair and hugged her for a second, resting my head on hers. "Honey, I will take care of it. She's been a bit bitchy as of late because I stole her precious 'Dracy-poo' from her. I will make sure she leaves you alone, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Thea," she says before hugging me one more time and standing up.

"Go run off and study with your friends," I tell her. She nods before sending a smile my way and following my orders.

 _How can someone let their sibling be treated this way? Braxton would never let this happen._ I nod my head in disappointment and move on with my homework. Soon after, I hear footsteps walking towards me and, thinking it was Astoria again, I say, "Astoria, you'll be okay. I'll take care of it." When I looked up, I saw Malfoy instead. My caring smile turned into a blank look upon sight of his trademark blonde hair. "Yes, Malfoy?"

"And what will you be taking care of for darling Astoria?" he questioned.

"Nothing you need to worry your entitled ass about," I snarkily replied.

He tutted and said, "I'm not here to discuss my ass; although, I would be glad to show you later in bed," he winked. _Ew._

 _"_ Oh, bugger off. If you have nothing relevant to say to me, I have some letters to write."

"I do have something to say, actually. Why did you 'ask' me to the dance?"

"I was in a terrible situation, you were in a terrible situation, and it benefited both of us. It will piss off Parkinson and could boost my social status."

"I see our little talk on the train has gotten to you. Well, I'm glad _someone_ is listening to me."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. If we are going to the dance together, we need to match," he stated. I threw my head back and groaned.

"And what does the 'Slytherin Prince' want to dress as?" I asked while crossing me arms.

"You just said it," he said with a smirk.

"No, no bloody way. I am not dressing up as a princess to satisfy your little power fantasy."

"You got yourself into it. Green will go lovely with your hair. I'll have my mum send you money. Lord knows you can't afford anything worthy to be next to me." He looked at my outfit and repeated, "Green will do just fine." He finally walked off and I pouted in my seat. _I can't believe the dick is making me dress like a princess. Maybe he should own up to his actions and be the princess instead. Zabini can be his prince._

The Halloween hogsmeade trip approached quickly. On the morning of, I woke up swiftly. I addressed my hair situation by slinging my long hair into a messy bun and got dressed. I headed down to the Great Hall to quickly eat breakfast and find Miles. When I told him about my conversation with Draco, he decided that he would help me find the perfect costume. After I finished my meal, I walked out into the oddly warm October weather.

"Thea, you will be the epitome of the Slytherin Princess, no, Queen for the ball!" Miles exclaimed.

"I just need the night to go well, okay? I told you, I need the status. They have all declared Malfoy and Parkinson as a power couple, but when puberty hit, well, let's say she isn't so desirable," I replied. _Do it for Braxton_ , I assured myself.

"Whatever, take this opportunity and run with it. You are going to be a queen for the night so act like it." I raised my arms in surrender and we walked down to Hogsmeade while chatting aimlessly. We arrived in the quaint village and found a little shop to the side that sold formal wear and wandered around the racks, pulling green dresses here and there. I found a few that caught my eye and then went into the busy changing room to try out what we had found.

"Okay, how about this one?" I said. The first dress was very simple. "Maybe we could dress it up?"

"No, that is way too simple. Is it on clearance?" he said spotting the red tag. "Oh hell no, Narcissa Malfoy sent you 10,000 galleons for a reason and we are not spending it on something on clearance." I laughed at his antics and went back into the dressing room. I tried on two more failed dresses. Dress number two showed too much skin, I guess, and dress number three was just ugly. I tried on the fourth dress and immediately fell in love. It hugged my body just right and showed the perfect amount of skin with the lace overlay.

"I think this is it," I said walking out to Miles.

"Perfect! Now, Mrs. Malfoy added a snake ring to wear with the dress. We just need to find a mask and the rest of the jewelry." We went to a jewelry store on the same side of the town and found the right earrings and mask to go with it.

"I have to wear a tiara. What do you recommend?" I asked.

"Hm, I don't know. I'd owl your mum about it," he said, shrugging. I agreed and linked arms with him to head back up to the castle. On the way, I passed by Malfoy and Parkinson snogging in an alley. I made a face of disgust and moved on with my walk. When Miles and I finally made it to the castle, we parted ways - him to the library to finish out some homework and I to the dungeons to hide away my dress and owl my mum. I got to my room and slid my garment bag into my favorite purse. It has an undetectable extension charm on it. My mum charmed it ages ago so I would never have to buy a bigger purse and so that it was more convenient. I sat on my bed and wrote a note to Mum.

 _Dear Mum,_

 _I know that you have heard that we are having a Halloween formal and that my date and I have decided on dressing up as a prince and princess. Do you happen to have a crown or tiara I could wear? School is going just fine. I have made a lot more friends this year, so my social life isn't completely trashed. How is Brax doing? Any updates? I can't wait to see you guys over winter break._

 _All my love,_

 _Thea_

I grabbed my note, left the common room, and went to the owlery. I stepped into the loud room and found one of the Hogwarts owls. "Send this to the Elsword Manor," I said and gave the bird a treat and a rub on the head before letting him fly out the window. I checked the time and saw I was about to miss curfew, so I quickly hurried back down to the dungeon. But, of course, I ran into Parkinson and her gang.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," said Parkinson.

"I don't need this right now, pug-face," I said.

"Excuse me?" she shrieked.

"You are excused. Back off and let me get to bed. You should too; you need the beauty sleep."

"You little bitch," she said charging at me. "You will regret ever insulting the Slytherin Princess." She actually managed to punch me and I felt my lip split. I grabbed my lip as soon as she stepped back and saw blood on my fingertips. My face morphed into an expression of anger and I punched her back right in the nose. She screamed and clutched where my fist landed. _I hope it broke._

"Fuck off, puggy," I finished and stormed off to the dungeon, leaving her and her friends behind me.

 _Dear Unknown,_

 _How dare Pansy lay a hand on me. What a bitch. Anyways, I better get some eyes at this dance. My dress is gorgeous and the ring that sent is beautiful. I saw Malfoy pointing at me the other day when his friends. I hope that him pointing me out will get my name out there._


	5. Chapter 5

The day had arrived: the dance. I woke up early to my roommates shuffling around getting ready. I slipped on more fitting clothes for public and went to get breakfast. The Hall seemed fairly empty of girls; maybe they ate earlier or didn't eat in fear of bloating. I had some fruit and pumpkin juice to wake me up and went back to the common room to read a bit before getting ready. My make up for the night will be fairly simple so I shouldn't take long to get ready. I walked in to find Malfoy sitting alone at the fireplace. I sat across from him and pulled out my book.

"So, Malfoy, what caused you to play along with my idea?" I asked out of pure curiosity.

"Parkinson is annoying and I would hate to spend more time with her than needed, " he replied never taking his eyes off the fire.

"But you will snog her in empty alleys? I'm confused," I said looking back down at my book.

"She is simply a toy. A pawn in my endgame. She says we are to be married but I have already been promised to someone else," he replied. Now, this intrigued me.

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"You will find out soon enough. Shouldn't you be getting ready for the dance tonight?"

" _Soon enough_ , Malfoy. My mum taught me beauty spells to make the process quicker. They were developed within my family," I said nonchalantly. He seemed impressed by this.

"You should probably abstain from calling me Malfoy tonight. It will not look good for your social status to be calling your date by his last name," he said getting up from his seat. "Tonight we will be Thea and Draco, not Malfoy and Elsword." I nodded my head at this and stood up with him.

"Well, I will see you later, _Draco_ ," I said. He nodded his head towards me and went up to his room. I turned towards my room to get ready. _Malfoy can be a decent person?_ I asked myself. I pulled out a large mirror that I had brought with me and set it up on my bed to avoid the terrifyingly busy bathroom. I started the long process of getting ready. After a while my hair was curled and braided back into a low bun, with a few pieces framing my face; with a quick spell to hold everything in place, my hair was done. My makeup was fairly simple. By the end my skin was evened out, cheeks rosied, eyes darkened, and my lipstick was even. Finally, I moved off of my bed and pulled out the package my mum sent me. There was a box with a letter that read:

 _Thea,_

 _I'm pleased to have heard from Narcissa that you are going with Draco to the dance. This tiara has been in our family for generations. Traditionally, the women wear it at their wedding but it will definitely work for your purpose. Have a lovely time at the dance._

 _Mum_

I pulled out a gorgeous, silver tiara. The gems on it were most likely real diamonds and it felt so luxurious. I decided to save it for last so I pulled out my gown. I pulled it on and used one of the family spells to fasten it. I slipped on my shoes, earrings, and ring. I secured my tiara within the braids and looked in the mirror. Lastly, my mask. I tied it above my bun and I was finally set. I gave myself a once-over and the final product. _Damn, I look good._

I left my dorm at just the right time to meet Draco in the common room. I walked down the stairs to the busy room full of people in various costumes. I saw so many people dressed as Merlin, Salazar Slytherin, and other famous historical figures. I heard a couple wolf-whistles and cheers approval; in reaction, I blushed and continued on with my mission of finding blonde hair. Finally, in the corner of the common room, I found Draco talking to Zabini along with his date. I walked up to him and looked at him in approval.

"We clean up nicely," Draco said.

"Agreed. Zabini, you and your date look wonderful," I said looking over at them. They were dressed as ghosts.

"Thank you, princess," he said smirking. I giggled and bowed my head to him. He's not _that_ bad of a person considering he hangs around Malfoy.

"Okay, Draco, why don't we head down?" I suggested.

"Of course." He reached out and hooked our arms together before leading me down to the Great Hall. As we passed through the halls, I immediately felt more eyes on me than normal. I kept a straight face as we entered the Great Hall. We walked over to a table and sat down along with the rest of Malfoy's gang. Dumbledore rang on his glass and grabbed our attention.

"Good evening. Tonight will be filled with dance, laughter, and mystery. There will be a wonderful meal provided and then we can dance away all the calories. I will make an announcement at ten to send away all the younglings. Have a wonderful night everyone," Dumbledore told us, eyes twinkling even more than usual at the possibilities of the night.

I turned to Draco and started a conversation while we ate, "Please, send my mother thanks for the money and the ring."

"I will. Thank you for choosing to look nice tonight," he said nonchalantly.

"Excuse me?"

"Elsword, you usually look like a mess. You look good right now."

"Wow, why did I think you might actually be a decent person for a night?" I scoffed at my own stupidity.

"You should feel lucky that I am complimenting you right now as it is." I choose to ignore him and eat my food in peace. Not long after, the food was removed off of the tables and the tables disappeared. They left a table in the back with little snacks and drinks for those who wanted them, but, other than that, the rest of the floor was cleared for dancing. The Weird Sisters came out to play a couple songs. I was standing off to the side when Astoria came running up to me and pulled me off to the dance floor during "Do the Hippogriff." Babineaux had finally ended up asking her to go to the dance with him, and her three other friends had decided to go as the Three Musketeers. Eventually, a slow song began, so I left the girls alone and walked towards the side of the wall. On the way, I was interrupted by Malfoy.

"Yes, Malfoy?" I asked.

"I'm sorry I said you look like a mess earlier. It was very wrong of me and I didn't mean it," he said, actually managing to sound sincere. I sighed.

"Thank you for your apology. Don't say anything like that again or worse things will be coming your way."

"I don't doubt that. Now, let's go dance. It would be wrong for the Prince and Princess to be off to the side," he said, holding out his hand. I placed my hand in his and let him lead me out to the dance floor. He placed his hand on my waist and the other stayed in my hand. I rested my other hand on his shoulder. We swayed to the music and then he looked at me, leaned close, and whispered, "Parkinson is standing by the punch right now. Here's the plan: I'm going to go over to get a glass of punch and you run into me, causing me to spill the punch over her dress. Okay?" I started laughing and, as the song changed, we separated and walked over to the table. He took a second and grabbed his glass before starting up a conversation with her. The bitch had dressed as a princess. I walked over to him and probably pushed him a bit more than necessary, but his drink spilled all over her dress. When she screamed, it sounded as if a banshee had entered the room. Everyone in the vicinity looked over at us. I covered my mouth in "shock," but, in reality, it was just because I didn't want to laugh.

"Draco, how could you do this to me?" she shrieked.

"Thea accidentally pushed me into you. It was an accident." He shrugged off.

She looked at me and started marching my way, but was held back by Draco. "You bitch! You're just jealous of me! You always have been!"

"Puggy, I have never been jealous of you. Never have and never will. Go run off to your superficial friends and try to fix that stain on your wannabe princess dress. We all know who the real Slytherin Princess is." She screamed again, shoved her way out of Draco's grasp, and ran off. I looked at him and laughed.

"Well, I think you have rightfully taken the place of Slytherin Princess," he declared. I giggled and we went off to dance some more. Finally, the night had drawn to a close. As the bell rang midnight, the Weird Sisters sang their last song and disappeared. Draco escorted me back to the dungeon and lead me to the base of the girls' stairs.

"Thank you. I had a much better night than I expected," I admitted to him.

"You're welcome. You aren't as bad as I thought you were."

"Agreed. Good night, Draco," I said as I went on my tippy toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

He smiled down at me and replied with same sentiment, "Good night, Thea." I turned away and went to upstairs to bed, attempting to repress my giddiness.


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Unknown,_

 _Ever since the dance, Draco and I have become much friendlier with each other. I mean, we have our little arguments here and there, but nothing is as bad as what happened on the train. My social status has risen infinitely and I'm taking on the role of Slytherin Princess. I am always seated at the right hand of Draco with his gang on his left. I made some new, true friends. Willa Bader, Maeva Boone, and Adelyn "Adi" Knopp have become amazing rocks in the year so far. Willa has become is easily my best friend out of all of them. She is a fifth year Slytherin and in a dorm next to mine. Maeva is an absolute joy and a sixth year Slytherin. She sat near us during lunch one day and was complaining about some work for Potions so I helped her. We immediately clicked and she found her way into our little group. Adi filled out the rest of our quartet and she keeps us all grounded. She is a very sensible fifth year Ravenclaw and sits with us when she can._

I took my place at Draco's right-hand side with my girls on my right side. Dumbledore stepped up to his owl lectern and the Hall shushed. "There will be a Hogsmeade trip next week to replace the canceled one from last week. Thank you and may you be prosperous in your classes for the remainder of the week." He smiled down at us and sat down at the staff table.

I looked over at Willa and asked, "Are you going to ask Blaise to go with you?" I've learned that Willa has a huge crush on Blaise. She blushed and shook her head no. "Aw, why not?"

"I'll let him ask me."

"Okay fine." I resignedly said. I ate my lunch and soon the bell rang for us to go to our afternoon classes. I linked arms with Willa and Maeva has we went to our Transfiguration class. McGonagall had us practice vanishing a snail from our desks. Draco was having a bit of an issue with it while I had already succeeded in the objective.

"Thea, can you help me?" He asked looking over at the empty space in front of me.

"Of course," I walked over to him and stepped behind him. I place my hand on his and improved how he held his wand. I looked at how close we were and blushed, stepping away from him quickly. "Okay, now try." He flourished his wand and succeeded in vanishing the snail. I smiled at him and turned back to my desk. To kill time, I started on our homework for the night. McGonagall walked by me at some point and asked to see the charm. She placed another snail on my desk and I expertly vanished the snail. She nodded her head and awarded Slytherin ten points. Draco looked over at me with pride.

The class moved on and we were released. I was talking with Draco and, suddenly, he slung his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I felt my cheeks redden up a bit, but continued talking on. I heard Maeva and Willa start giggling and gossiping behind me. We went to Potions and finished out the day of classes before heading back to the dungeons for some free time before dinner. We took our normal spots in front of the fireplace and did some homework. My leg was pushed against his the entire time and we were a bit closer than usual.

After dinner, I was back to the dungeons alone with Draco. "Let's go to the Astronomy Tower. The sun is about to set and classes there won't start for a bit," he suggested.

"Sure, why not," I replied while smiling up at him. His tall frame was about half a foot taller than mine.

We walked to the balcony overlooking one of the many courtyards and my mouth dropped in awe. The sunset tonight was gorgeous. I leaned out the edge while Draco came up behind me and laid an arm against my waist. I leaned into him and basked in the glory of a cool, fall night. "Hey," he said, startling me. "Let's go to Hogsmeade."

"What?" I was genuinely surprised by this.

"We already spend enough time together, we should just verify this thing we have going on by going to Hogsmeade."

"Draco, how do I know you aren't using me like you're using Parkinson?"

"She is an annoying little thing. Other than your need to please others, you are true and genuine, and I appreciate that. It's hard trait to come by in the Pureblood families these days." As he said this, I blushed furiously. _Stop it, Thea. You have never blushed this much before,_ I scolded myself.

"I'll go with you Draco." I smiled and looked back out at the mountains in the distance as Draco leaned even further into me.

The week passed through smoothly, and I excitedly waited for the Hogsmeade trip. I planned on getting Christmas presents for my mom and Braxton. _Maybe I will pick something up for Alex_ , I contemplated. I got dressed for the day and met Draco for breakfast. We walked from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade with our elbows interlocked, chattering the whole way. "Where do you want to go first?" Draco asked.

"Um, Spintwitches. I want to get a new broom care kit for my friend." He nodded and we headed that way. When we walked in, I found a really nice kit for Alex that was on sale and paid for it with the money that I earned from tutoring. "I'm getting kinda thirsty," I said as we left the store.

"Me too, how about we go to the Three Broomsticks?"

"Agreed." We walked through the busy paths towards the pub and found a small booth within it. We sat, talked, and ordered butterbeers. Eventually, Draco brought up the one question I had feared him asking.

"So, who's this friend that you purchased the broom kit for?" he asked.

"My friend Alex. He's mainly my brother's friend, but he's pretty much my second brother." His eyebrows shot up in alarm at the word brother. I sighed and took a long drink of my butterbeer before explaining, "Before coming here last year, I went to Durmstrang with my brother, Braxton. He, Alex, and I were a perfect trio until an accident happened our third year. We were up on broomsticks tossing around a quaffle and I threw it too far. Brax dove to catch it, but fell off his broom instead and neither Alex nor I could save him from falling. He was sent to St. Mungo's and has been lying in a coma since then. I transferred here, but Alex stayed at Durmstrang. I still owl Alex because he always wants updates on Braxton and to make sure I am okay here. He has considered moving here before, too. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't yet." By the end of this, my eyes were tearing up a bit, and Draco had a hand resting on my own.

"I am so sorry, Thea. I didn't know," he said.

"It's okay. Not many people do. I spent all of the last year in mourning, but I know that I need to start to move on. He's still alive, just unconscious. Besides, if he saw my marks from last year, he would kick my ass all the way to Ilvermorny," I said with a small smile. He squeezed my hand and let his hand rest in his lap.

"Okay, we still have a few hours left and I would like to go to Honeyduke's, you in?" he said trying to cheer up the mood. I laughed, letting him lead me out of the pub and into the joyous little shop that is Honeydukes. While there, I picked up some sweets that I know my mum loves to give to her before Christmas. I'll have to quickly find a necklace over Christmas break, as well as a present for Draco. A warning bell rang and all the students reluctantly started making their way back to the castle in time for dinner. Draco and I walked back together, hand in hand. We got some stares, and I swear that I felt a lot of glares coming from the other females in Slytherin - maybe a few from the other houses, too.

During dinner, I decided to write a letter to Alex to see how he was doing and to ask if he had any concrete plans to transfer. I left dinner a bit early and dropped off the letter with a school owl. I walked the long path down to the Slytherin dungeons and found Draco. He was sitting on a loveseat by the fireplace surrounded by our friends. I strode over to the seat and laid down on it with my head on his lap and my legs over the arm of the chair. I pulled out my book for History of Magic and began reading it. Draco's only reaction was to begin running his hand through my hair whilst talking to his friends. The night grew on and the room got darker and emptier. Eventually, our little group decided to disband to our rooms. I stood up from my rather comfy spot on the couch and looked up at Draco. "Good day?" I asked.

"Good day. You?" he replied.

"Good day and, now, good night." I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek before turning off to my dorm to turn in for the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Soon enough, November passed by and December came upon us. Umbridge has become an absolute terror. She has taken up her spot as the "High Inquisitor" and has created an Inquisitorial Squad to do her bidding. Draco isn't that fond of her, but she works with his father and Malfoy Senior wrote a, rather rude if I must say, letter to Draco about joining. Mr. Malfoy said something along the lines of, "this is a high honor" and "it would disappointing to your family if you did not join." So, basically, it was complete bullshit. He joined anyways, but I abstained from joining. I tutor kids in Charms, and I can't have them scared of me because I'm on the Squad.

Defense has become absolute hell. I hate being around Umbridge, but I know I have to stay in her good graces. We have a class with her after lunch today and I'm not excited. We have it with Ravenclaw today, so there will be no interruptions from Potter, thankfully. We all walked in hesitantly and took our seats - Slytherin on one side and Ravenclaw on the other. Draco and I sat at our desks while Umbitch started the lesson.

"Good morning, students!" she said excitedly.

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," we all droned.

"Today, we will be reading chapter ten on negotiations. You will answer the questions posited at the end of the chapter. You have the rest of class, and your homework will be a foot long essay on how to properly negotiate in the situation of a standoff. I will be observing you as you complete this task," she said in her sickly sweet voice. We all groaned to ourselves and began the process of reading the long, long chapter. It just so happened to be the longest class period of my whole life. Towards the end, Umbridge spoke up from her position at the head of the class. "Miss Elsword, may I see you at the end of class?" she asked. My head shot up and I nodded at her, offering a small smile.

The bell rang and I walked up to her cautiously, "Yes, Professor?"

"Miss Elsword, you have proven yourself to be an exceptional student in my class. Will you join the Inquisitorial Squad?" _Oh god, please no,_ I groaned to myself.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It would be a great honor, but I tutor other students and it takes up a majority of my time. I fear that I would be unable to fulfill all of my duties if I was on the Squad," I tried to convince her.

"I understand that. 50 points to Slytherin for your time taken to better the future. If you ever change your mind, I will always accept you. Onto my next order of business, what is your mother's name?" She questioned.

"Um, Mayra Elsword. Her maiden name was Gillespie," I said, confused.

"Ah, good. You remind me of her. She was a good friend of mine throughout school here. That Kane she married was bad news, though," she said.

"What do you mean, ma'am? He left us when I was very young."

"Of course, he did," she scowled. "Kane was very outspoken and did not fit with your mother. Anyways, I was just curious. Off you pop to your next class. Let them know you were talking to me!"

"Thank you, professor," I said walking out of her room. I made my way to charms and sat next to Draco.

"Umbridge had to speak to me. It was about the Squad and my parents," I said.

"Ah," he said understandingly and we turned our heads towards Flitwick to learn the charm of the day.

December trudged on and, finally, it was the last week before we went home for the holidays. Our professors were piling on essay after essay and reading assignment after reading assignment. There were many long nights spent in the common room and the library doing said assignments. In class, we were tested over all the material we had covered, and it was absolute hell. The week was emotionally draining in so many ways. Other than the first half of the term coming to a close, Mum sent me an owl saying that Braxton's health was not improving. It's been stuck at a plateau for the past year. Thankfully, he's not getting worse, but it's not any better.

Currently, I am in the library writing an essay on the wolfsbane potion. It's already a footlong, and I'm struggling to get the second foot required. I felt a presence from behind me and suddenly a pair of hands were covering my eyes. I sighed and grabbed at the hands, looking up to find a shock of blonde hair. "Yes, Draco?" I sighed.

"I thought you would be more excited to see me," he said, smirking. "Anyways, every year my family holds a Christmas gathering for the elite pureblood families. You and your mother have been invited this year. It's fairly formal and its usually dreadfully boring, so please come so I don't have to be surrounded by the buffoons called Crabbe and Goyle all night."

"I don't know, Draco. Pureblood gatherings aren't really my thing. They are always so pretentious and I'm always so uncomfortable at them," I said.

"I am, too, but, if I have to suffer, so do you," he said looking down at me.

"Fine, I will go, but only for you." I sighed. He smiled, leaned down, and kissed my forehead.

"Thank you, Thea. You won't regret it." He grinned and walked away. I laughed to myself and continued with my work.

Not long after, all exams were over and I was on the train home. I sat in a compartment with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Willa, and Maeva. We all were nibbling on treats from the trolley lady and laughing at Crabbe and Goyle who were eating like pigs. I squeezed in the spot between the wall and Draco and laid my head on his shoulder. My eyes were fluttering shut and I eventually passed out on his shoulder.

I woke up to a mostly empty compartment, and Draco nudging my head with his shoulder. I stretched out my arms and yawned in an attempt to get blood rushing in my body again. I linked my elbow with his and we walked off the train. I found my mum and ran to hug her. "Hi, Mum." I smiled.

"Anthea, how are you?" She grinned holding me at arm's length.

"I'm wonderful, Mum. How are you?"

"I'm great. I have some more friends for you to meet. Thank you for wearing appropriate clothing this time," she said, looking down at my outfit.

"Of course." She grabbed my shoulder and led me over to a group of women, including Mrs. Malfoy.

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy," I said approaching her.

She gave me a warm smile and responded, "Hello Anthea, how was your term?"

"It went well. Thank you for asking." I smiled back.

"Anthea, meet Gianna Parkinson, Catherine Crabbe, Freya Goyle, and Isla Mercado," she said. Each women she named smiled and nodded at me as mum pointed them out.

"Hello," I said. It was easy to tell who was who just based upon their last names and their children were standing right next to them. Pansy glared at me and crossed her arms. The boys just looked indifferent.

"Okay, Anthea, let's go home," my mum said. I nodded at the flock of women and walked off with my mum.

We found an open fireplace and flooed home from King's Cross Station. We arrived at home in a flash of green fire, and I was greeted by the cold, emptiness of our manor. Our house was very large and empty, save for mum, myself and our team of two house elves.

"Mum, I need to ask you something," I said, looking at her.

"Of course, honey," she said taking a seat near our fireplace.

"Ever since the dance, Draco Malfoy and I have become very close friends. We study a lot and spend our free time together," I said, sitting near her. "The Malfoy family holds a Christmas formal for the pureblood families on Christmas Eve, and we have been invited this year." Mum started grinning with mirth and grasped my hands.

"Oh, that's wonderful," she exclaimed. "Please write to the Malfoys and relay that we will be in attendance. We can go to Diagon Alley to purchase new dress robes. Yeah?"

I smiled back at her and said, "Yeah." I rose out of my seat, pulled Nerida out of her kitten carrier, and grabbed my trunk. "I'm going to go to my room, okay?" I asked. Mum nodded at me and pulled out one of her books. I made my way to the west wing of the house where my room was located. My trunk was rolling behind me and Nerida was prancing with it, chasing the tags. I walked into my oversized room and placed my trunk next to my dresser before jumping on my bed. Nerida jumped onto her kitten perch in the corner with her tiny munchkin legs and slept soundly. I wrote a quick note to Draco before heading off to bed.

 _Dear Draco,_

 _My mum agreed to attending so I guess this is our RSVP. I plan on wearing black and red, if you would like to match._


	8. Chapter 8

_Gosh, St. Mungo's is a boring place,_ I thought. I was laying in a cot on the left of Braxton with mum curled up on his right. I sat up in the cot and went to the washroom that was attached to the hospital room. I changed into a set of clothes that worked as pajamas and walked back out to Brax. I laid next to him on his bed and curled up like we did when we were kids. I grasped his hand and said to him, "Oh, Brax, you would love Hogwarts. It is so bright compared to Durmstrang. You would have so many friends here. You and Blaise would get along, and I'm sure you would love Miles. I know I should have been easier with the quaffle that day. The doctors say," I shuddered, "the doctors say that if you don't wake up soon, you may not wake up at all. Please, please wake up. I need my brother. I have friends, but none are like you. You are my best friend and I love you so much." A stray tear ran down my face and I looked up at him. A rustle of blankets of came from the other side of the room and I quickly swept away the tear, jumping off of his bed.

"Good morning mum," I said cheerfully.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she smiled. "You been awake long?"

"No, not long. What's the plan for today?" I asked.

"Dress shopping for the Malfoy ball?"

"Sure."

"Also, Mrs. Malfoy sent me an owl a few days ago asking for you to go to the manor tomorrow and stay until the ball. Is that alright with you?"

A shocked look crossed my face, but I quickly nodded and smiled. "Yes, of course. I'm assuming they will need my help with preparations."

"Wonderful. We will head over there after we are done shopping." I looked down at my brother.

"You will keep me updated?" I asked, running my thumb over his cheek.

"Of course." At that last confirmation, I walked over to my bag and changed into more appropriate clothes for shopping at the most elite places in Diagon Alley. Before I left, I gave Braxton a kiss on the forehead. I uttered a quick "I love you" and grabbed my mum's hand to side-along apparate. We apparated into the middle of Diagon Alley and quickly found Twillfitt and Tattings. We stepped into the highly perfumed shop and found the formal dresses. I tried on a few dresses and settled on a black off-the-shoulder number with bright red heels. I envisioned what I was going to like and was pleased.

We finally left the store and found our way to the Elsword Manor. I was greeted by the coldness once again and went to my room to pack my clothes for the quick trip. Nerida was asleep on my bed, and lazily glanced up at the sound of my entrance before going straight back to sleep. I chuckled at her and found my spare trunk. I packed a few sets of clothing to last me through a few days. Once I was finished, I hopped down the stairs with the trunk and Nerida in her carrying case. I kissed my mum on the cheek and said, "I'll see you in a few days?"

"Of course. Have fun, I love you."

"I will, I love you too," I said before vanishing to the Malfoy Manor in a flash of emerald light. I stepped through and was greeted by the bustle of house elves moving around, preparing the main rooms to hold the elite. One of them came over to me, greeted me, and led me to Mrs. Malfoy. I entered a sitting room where Mrs. Malfoy was with Mrs. Mercado, Blaise's mom. They looked over their plans and greeted me. I set down my trunk and walked over to them, giving each a small hug.

"Anthea, how are you? I'm so glad you are here," Narcissa exclaimed.

"I am wonderful. How are you two?" I asked the women in front of me.

"Great. Isla, I will be right back. Draco wanted to see Thea as soon as she arrived." Mrs. Mercado nodded and turned her head towards the plans in front of her. Narcissa brought me up stairs and knocked on one of the various doors that I assumed led into bedrooms. "Draco? Thea is here." I heard footsteps come from the other side and Draco appeared from behind the closed door. We smiled at the sight of each other and I internally felt a lot happier. Narcissa left us alone, so I walked into Draco's room. It was the kind of room one would expect him to have: green walls, black furniture, silver details, and completely spotless.

"Hey, Thea," he said. His room was rather large, and in one corner was a large bed with grey bedding. Another corner held a desk surrounded by book shelves filled with books, some from school and some for leisure, and then, along a wall, there was a fireplace that had large, sitting chairs and a love seat circled around it. He began to lead me over to the chairs. _If this is what his room looks like, then I wonder what the master looks like,_ I pondered. I sat on one of the chairs and was immediately consumed by the plush of the chair.

"Hey, Draco. How are you?" I asked.

"I am very well. How are you?"

"Wonderful. Mum never told me - why did your mum want me here early?" I saw his cheeks tinge pink.

"Um, I actually wanted you here. Blaise has been on vacation in Romania, and I really don't want to be around the two idiots."

"That's a-okay."

"Come here," he said motioning over to the loveseat he was currently on. I walked over to the couch and sat next to him, curling up with him instantly. As we sat in silence I thought to myself, _What are we? He and I sit here all pressed against each other like a couple, but we aren't. We flirt all time, and I've been approached by some kids in younger years and by the kids I tutor asking if we're together. I don't know if I want to be in a relationship now. I need to be able flirt my way around and get connections. God, when did I let my emotions get the best of me? Fourth year I was known as a stone-cold bitch, and now here I am. My name is brought up in the same conversations as Draco's, and is that really a good thing?_ I was brought out of my train of thought by a few knocks on the door. I shot up from my relaxed position and smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles on my coat. A man with long blonde hair walked through the door, carrying a cane. Draco stiffened beside me.

"I am assuming you are Anthea Elsword? I am Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father," he drawled. He seemed to pull his words out and lengthen them.

I nodded respectfully, and said, "Yes, sir, I am."

"Well, I wanted to introduce myself to the girl who is supposed to be raising my son's Charms grades," he said. I was slightly confused, but rolled with it.

"Of course, thank you for letting me into your home." He nodded towards me as a reaction to my statement and left the room. As soon as he did, Draco's posture loosened up beside me. "Are you okay?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, he's just intense," he said sighing. I rubbed his shoulder and leaned into him.

"I get it, but at least your father is around." It was his turn to be sympathetic.

"I'm sorry, Thea."

"It's alright. I've gotten used to it," I said and we left it at that.

Being at Draco's house wasn't that bad. I dressed way nicer than I would at my house, and we had all of our meals together. Those times weren't the best, but, anytime I was with Draco alone, it was absolutely wonderful. We toured his gardens, I helped him with charms, and we prepared for the formal that was coming up soon. I do miss seeing Braxton everyday. Maybe I will take Draco with me one day.

 _Dear Mum,_

 _My time at the Malfoy's has been wonderful so far. I do miss you and Braxton. Please send me an update on his status soon. I spend the majority of my days preparing for the formal with Narcissa and others. I will see you in a few days._

 _I love you lots,_

 _Thea_


	9. Chapter 9

Finally, it was time for the formal. The manor was filled with house elves galore and decorations everywhere. There were trees around every corner and each was decorated with the finest of glass ornaments. There were sprigs of mistletoe hung on doorways around the entire main floor. The house elves were crowded in the large kitchen preparing the snacks for tonight. All in all, the manor was decked out and it was awesome. I'm wearing probably the most comfortable outfit of my stay: a Christmas sweater and leggings. I swear Mr. Malfoy gave me a side glance when he saw how casual it was, but he sucked it up.

I made my way from the main floor to my room so that I could write in my journal for a little bit before I had to get ready. I've been neglecting writing in it during my free time; instead, I have been constantly sending owls to Mum and my friends. Blaise even received a letter here and there.

 _Dear Unknown,_

 _Life has been... going. I live day to day and, honestly, each day is getting better. Draco Malfoy has definitely proved himself despite our first conversation. Life at the Malfoy Manor is interesting. Everything is so neat and orderly. Around his parents, it doesn't even seem like Draco has a personality. Especially around his father. It's always "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" and it's crazily intense. Oh well, I gotta go now. Someone is knocking on my door._

 _"_ Come in," I called from my bed. I tucked my journal under my pillow and looked up.

"Hello, Anthea. Did you need any help getting ready?" Narcissa inquired as she slowly walked in.

"I usually don't, but I would greatly appreciate it," I said smiling. Narcissa looked at me with a large smile and we walked to the spacious bathroom that was off to the side of my room. I sat at the vanity and Narcissa stood behind me brushing out my hair.

"When I was your age, I always dreamed of being able to help my daughter get ready. For dates, dances, events - whatever it may be. I never was able to do that because I had a son, but it has always stayed in my head after all these years," she said nostalgically. "I remember my mum helping me get ready for my engagement party. She stood behind me just like we are now and it was magical. A bonding experience between a mother and daughter like this cannot be replaced. I pray that you and your mother have done this before."

"No, we have never had a reason to. Holidays were always spent at Durmstrang. They had the best parties for the students. Parents were invited and our ballroom was filled to the brim. Last year, I spent the holidays at Hogwarts. Being home reminded me too much of my brother and I couldn't handle it. It was a pleasant experience, though." While I was talking, Mrs. Malfoy braided back a small section of my hair and began to apply my eye makeup.

"What a shame. Holidays are a big event for the elite here. I am glad you could join us this year." I smiled at her in the mirror. I continued getting ready in silence. Finally, I was just about ready. I looked in the full body mirror at my reflection as Narcissa clasped my necklaces. She pulled my hair behind my back and placed her hands on my shoulders. "There, you look gorgeous. One day, I guarantee you will be a stunning bride."

I blushed. "Thank you so much. I appreciate the help."

"It was no problem at all. Thank you for helping me fulfill a lifelong dream." We smiled at each other once more and moved to exit my room. I have learned over the past few days the true Narcissa Malfoy. She is a fierce, loyal woman who is completely dedicated to her husband and family. She supports the Black and Malfoy bloodline true and true. She is the physical embodiment of a badass mother. I have developed a great and deep respect for her.

We walked down a set of stairs and found Mr. Malfoy and Draco standing near a fireplace in a room off of the room where the formal is being held. My face lit up when Draco turned to look at me. He looked impeccable as always, with his dark dress robes offset by the bright red bowtie around his neck. "We clean up nice," he said, repeating that line from the Halloween dance. I smirked at him.

"Agreed," I replied. The men held out their hands and Narcissa and I accepted them. They led us out into the ballroom and my gaze flew to the crowd. I saw a few recognizable faces from school. The Notts, Parkinsons, Greengrasses, Woodrows, Baders, Boones, and Knopps. Most are families I enjoy seeing. I brightened at the sight of Miles and made a mental note to find him later. As a hostess for the event, I greeted the guests alongside Draco. I was amazed how polite he was, but I noticed that the smile he was giving everyone was not reaching his eyes. Another mental note of mine was made.

A flash of green from a fireplace gleamed in the corner of my eye. I looked over and quickly saw my mum. I whispered a few words to Draco and rushed off to my mother. I hugged her tightly. "Mum! How are you?" I asked, scanning her.

"I am better now that I get to see you. My, you look gorgeous!" she exclaimed.

"Me? Look at you! You look amazing," I said. I don't think I've ever smiled wider.

"Oh, stop it." She waved her hand. I grabbed her elbow and led her over to the Malfoys. "Narcissa, how lovely it is to see you," Mum said. I walked over to Draco and we ventured off to find our friends and give our mothers time to catch up. We found Blaise nursing a glass of punch with a blushing Willa. Her head turned towards us and she looked relieved when she saw me. I gave her a hug and moved to kiss Blaise on the cheek in greeting. While I was at St. Mungo's, mum began teaching me the ways of a pureblood and how to please others. One of the rules was to kiss men on the cheek in greeting. Draco did whatever he was taught to do.

"Willa! How are you?" I asked facing her.

"I am wonderful. I spent the first few days with my family in Albania visiting my grandmother. How are you?" she asked, clutching my arms.

"I am fantastic. I was with my brother for a few days, and then I've been here helping them set up for this event." Being my best friend, she already knew everything about Braxton.

"How's he doing, by the way?" she asked.

"He hasn't gotten any better. It isn't a good or bad thing, but there hasn't been any change. " I replied. We left it at that and I turned to my date for the formal. "Shall we go greet more people?" I asked Draco.

"Of course. I do not think my parents have greeted the Notts - we should go do that," he said. I remembered my past experience with the younger Nott and shuddered, but put on a brave face. I grabbed his elbow and we walked over to the family.

"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Elsword, it is nice to see you," Mrs. Nott greeted.

"You as well," Draco replied.

"Thea, I see you are still hanging on to that git," Theodore said to me under his breath while Draco conversed with Mr. Nott.

"Theodore, I saw that even Pansy Parkinson has rejected you. Does your mum even love you?" I snarked back at him.

"Tch, I heard that you have been hanging around here for a few days. Have they been using you as a whore? That's the only way you could ever raise your social status through them," he said with a straight face.

My face morphed into one of anger as I replied, "I have been here as a guest to assist in this event. The only reason your family received an invitation was that of courtesy. No one wants your greasy ass here, especially not the Malfoys."

He scoffed and walked off with his family. Draco saw my face and leaned towards me. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine," I spat. "Nott just needs to learn his place." He nodded and we moved to greet more guests.

Other than the altercation with Nott, the formal went very well. I spent the whole time entertaining and staying attached to Draco. Soon enough the guests had all left and the manor was empty. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy retired to their wing of the house and Draco and I went to our rooms to change. I untwisted my hair and summoned a house elf to unzip my dress. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and sighed at how comfortable it was compared to the constricting dress I was wearing moments ago. I pulled a crop top on and checked myself out in the mirror. I walked the few doors down to the Draco's room and just walked in. He was pulling on a shirt and damn, quidditch gave him some killer muscles. I shook my head and smiled at him.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey, Thea," he smirked. _Damn, he totally caught me looking,_ I thought. We have grown closer over the past few days and spend a lot of our time sitting in his room talking for hours. We usually end up extremely close, usually with one of our heads in the other's lap. He took his position at one end of the couch in his room, and I laid out on it with my head in his lap. I pulled out the book I brought with me and began reading while Draco played with my hair. We sat, or in my case, laid in silence for a bit. I could feel my eyes start to droop and Draco trying to wake me up so that I could go back to my room, but I refused to move. Finally, he lifted up my head and moved out from underneath me, setting my book aside. I was in a state of being half-asleep when I felt him pick me up bridal style take me over to my room. I was too tired to care so I just cuddled into him further. His chest rumbled a little bit as he chuckled in response to my actions. He reached my room and set me on my bed. He kissed the top of my head and was about to leave my room until I called him out.

"Hey, Draco?" I yawned.

"Yeah?" he said turning to face me.

"Thanks for a good night."

"No problem, sleep well."

"Mhm, you too," I replied softly and closed my eyes, claiming the sleep that I deserved.


	10. Chapter 10

I woke up early on Christmas day, jumped out of my bed at the manor, walked the few meters over to Draco's room, and threw his door open. "Draco! Draco! Draco! It's Christmas! Wake up!" I exclaimed, jumping on his sleeping form after each word. "Come on," I whined, laying next to him after I finally wore myself out from jumping. My actions elicited a groan from the boy and I threw my body on top of his, whispering, "Draco Lucius Malfoy, you better get your ass out of bed or I won't make you cookies later."

Draco shot up at this and shoved me off of his bed. "I'm awake," he said. I giggled and ran back to my room to change into a more formal outfit for breakfast with the Malfoys. The plan for the day is to have breakfast and then floo over to my house with Draco where we will open presents and make cookies. The Malfoys aren't keen on celebrating Christmas in a casual fashion. They prefer to have their pureblood formal and then a nice family breakfast on Christmas Day. All in all, very mundane.

I tied up the laces on my heels and began my descent down to the formal dining room. Lucius sat at the head of the table with Narcissa on his right and an empty seat on his left for Draco. I sat next to the seat left for Draco and we were stuck in an awkward silence. A few painfully uncomfortable seconds later, I broke the silence by looking at Mrs. Malfoy and saying, "You look lovely this morning, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Thank you, you do as well. Happy Christmas," she said smiling at me.

"Happy Christmas," I said smiling back. Thankfully, Draco walked down just then to relieve the tension. He kissed his mother on the cheek and then proceeded to sit beside me. I smiled over at him and we all began to eat in silence. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy engaged in hushed conversation at some point and Draco and I ate quietly. It felt so weird being so close to him but not touching him. Ever since coming to his house, we became a lot more physical, for lack of a better word. Whenever we are sitting or laying next to each other, we had some part of our body touching. During the formal, his hand found a comfortable spot at the small of my back and then, when sitting next to each other, our legs were touching and sometimes his arm was around my shoulders. My point is, we were close. He must have had the same thought that I did as his left hand ventured to rest on my knee area. I nibbled on a pastry whilst he talked with his father.

Breakfast began to wrap up as we all finished eating. When Draco's parents began to stand, I looked at them and said formally, "Thank you for welcoming me into your home. It has been an absolute pleasure staying here." Mr. Malfoy nodded and Mrs. Malfoy smiled at me.

"It has been a pleasure getting to know you better. I hope to see you during Easter holidays," Mrs. Malfoy said back to me.

"I would enjoy that." Draco kissed his mother on the cheek and bid them ado. I made my way to my room and packed together the items that I had brought along with me. I met up with Draco at the fireplace that was in the sitting room in our wing and we disappeared in the emerald flames to my home.

We arrived in the main living space of my manor and I was immediately calmed by the warm tones of my house. After being in the cold dark manor of Draco's place, it was comforting to be home. The house elf that was dusting off one of the tables shrieked in surprise and disappeared, most likely to alert my mother of my arrival. I smiled and moved to one of the couches, sitting down with Draco not far behind me. Keeping true to my thoughts from earlier, our shoulders and legs were touching even though there was plenty of room on the couch we sat on. My mother entered the room not too long after and I jumped up and hugged her, even though I had seen her the night before.

"Anthea, honey, I am so happy to see you!" she exclaimed loudly.

"I'm happy to see you too, Mum," I said hugging her back fiercely.

We exchanged stories from the past days that we were apart and made our way to the heavily adorned Christmas tree that was in the corner of the room. There were presents bunched around it of varying size. Draco, Mum, and I sat around on the floor or on chairs opening up presents and sharing stories, having a grand time. It was one of the most fun times I've had in awhile.

Draco and I left my mom alone so that she could read all the new books on spell making that I gave her and we headed upstairs. There was a small sitting area off of my room that we put all of our gifts in. I quickly showed him where his room was and then went to my room to change into a more comfortable outfit of a Christmas sweater and braid back my hair. I walked back out to find Draco laying across one of the couches. I called on one of the house elves to light the fire and then I laid down on the couch next to Draco and snuggling up to him.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" I asked him.

"Of course. Did you?"

"Mhm. Thank you for letting me stay with you. I love being around Braxton, but St. Mungo's is just too stuffy."

"Agreed. When my grandfather fell ill, we went to the hospital daily to be with him. It was dreadful."

"I'm sorry to hear that. My brother's ward in the longterm Artefact Accidents Department is sometimes eventful. There can be some nasty occurrences with cursed objects and such. You would think that it would be tame, but the number of people crying causes my mum to place a charm on our room to block out the noise."

"Thea, can I ask you a question?" Draco said after some silence after my last statement.

"Of course," I replied looking up at him.

"Next time you see your brother, can I come along? I would love to meet him"

I was stunned at his question, so it took me a few seconds to respond. "Of course you can, Draco. Why do you want to?"

He sat up and looked me in the eyes. "Thea, I care about you. Braxton is a huge part of your life and I would be honored to see that piece. I want to be there for you to support you."

"Oh, Draco," I said and hugged him tightly. Tears were starting to form at the corners of my eyes. He kissed the top of my head and we rested in that position for a few moments. We broke away to me saying, "I think there are some cookie ingredients that want to be turned into cookies. Let's fix that." I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the kitchen.


	11. Chapter 11

Our small break away from Hogwarts came to a close and I found myself on the Hogwarts Express heading back to the school. OWLs were now in full force. If my time wasn't spent with Draco or my girls, I was studying for the numerous OWLs I have to take May. Draco tried pulling me away from my studying but I persisted. No one will respect me if I am stupid.

I have found a small study group of myself, Miles, Adi, and a shy Hufflepuff we met named Seth Abernathy. I don't know how he didn't make Ravenclaw. He's bloody smart. The four of us spent countless, and I mean countless, hours in the library. We aren't too strict with it though. We take breaks to gossip about the drama going on.

"Hey, Seth. Didn't you get a detention with Umbridge the other day?" I asked, finally looking up from my Charms studying.

"Yeah," he replied sitting back in his chair. I noticed he rubbed his bandaged hand at the mention.

"What are they like? I've heard they are absolutely dreadful," Adi questioned.

"Just that. She has these quills that are charmed to use your blood as ink. You write lines over and over again until 'the message sinks in.' It's fucking awful and hurts like a bitch."

"Shit, what did you have to write?" I asked.

"I will remember to do my homework. I forgot to do it one time, and she did this. How can a woman be this awful?" He shoved his head into his hands and sighed.

I rubbed his back and tried to console him. Miles spoke up, "I heard Jon got a detention. I wonder what he had to write and for how long." Jon and Miles have become very close and are gaining a reputation as best friends. Miles and I are starting to suspect Jon is a little bit gay. No one really knows that Miles is a flaming gay. We sat for a few minutes in silence and tried to get back to studying. Umbridge's detentions were becoming notorious for being hell. I'm just grateful I haven't received one.

After a pretty rigorous study session, we all dispersed back to our common rooms. I linked arms with Miles, entered the common room, and was met with a scoff. _Well fuck, it's my goddamn lucky day,_ I thought.

"I thought Draco would be more than enough for you. Do you really need another dick for satisfaction?" Parkinson sneered. I groaned and faced her.

"Pugsy, listen to this concept: being friends with a guy and not trying to get in his pants. It's totally revolutionary! You should catch on. Maybe you will gain back a little of the respect the general population has lost for you." I glared at her and the aforementioned general population 'ooo'-ed at my comment.

"Ugh, fuck off Elsword," she said turning away.

"You know what? No. Parkinson, get your ass over here," I said getting up in her face. "What is your deal with me? I came into this school not knowing anyone and you give me shit. I work my ass off, you give me shit. I literally walk in here with my friend, you give me shit. Who hurt you, boo-boo? What caused you to be like this?"

She scoffed and spat in my face. "I. Said. Fuck. Off."

"Oh, hell no," I said and punched her. She crumpled beneath me. "I tried Pugsy. I tried to be nice to you after I got sorted into Slytherin. I tried to be civil. You did this. This is why you have no true friends. You think your little goons like you? No. You're wrong." I began to walk off.

"You'll get it someday, Elsword! I will bring your reckoning and it will be hell!" she said as she tried to get up from the ground. Bulstrode and Davis attempted to help her, but she shoved them off. Greengrass stood behind them with a small smile on her face. Sometimes, I think she despises being friends with Pugsy but does it for her social status. I left them there at the entrance and found Draco in the corner of the room surrounded by his goons.

"Hi, Anthea," Goyle said.

"Hi, Goyle," I said back.

"Uh, will you go on a date with me? Because that was hot." He chuckled. Draco looked disgusted at that.

"No, Goyle, I will not," I scoffed. _Damn, I've been doing that a lot tonight,_ I thought.

"Darn, I gave it a shot." He smirked and bumped fists with Crabbe. I looked at Draco with a classic resting bitch face and crossed my arms.

"Okay boys, leave Thea and me alone," he said pushing them away. Goyle and Crabbe rambunctiously walked off, probably to steal some food from a first year. "How are you, beautiful?"

"Pissed, you?" I laid next to him on the couch and put my head on his lap. He started to run his hands through my hair, calming me down.

"Proud. That was a damn good punch," he laughed. I could feel the pride radiating off of him.

"Thanks. It helps that Braxton and I used to fight a lot as kids." I saw a swish of reddish-brown hair move quickly away after my statement, but decided to ignore it.

My eyes fluttered closed and I focused on Draco's hand. The constant motion soothed me and brought me down from my rage. Draco has become my rock lately. Sure, we get into some small arguments, but what best friends don't?

His whole thing against Potter has caused us a few issues. Personally, I merely think Potter is an overhyped prat who doesn't need all the attention he has been getting. Draco, on the other hand, has had it all out for "Saint Potter" since Potter turned down his friendship or whatever. I've tried getting it through Draco's thick skull that he shouldn't give Potter more unwanted attention and that is usually when the arguments take place.

Usually, it happens like this: Draco verbally attacks Potter. I verbally attack Draco. Draco gets offended and makes a sexist remark about how women shouldn't have opinions. I verbally attack more. We walk away from each other. He falls asleep in History of Magic. I give him my notes. We move on. It's a wonderful cycle.

Anyways, I'm focusing on Draco's hand and calming down, but, of course, someone walked up to us and ruined the moment. I opened up one eye to see whose presence I felt and shot up.

"Astoria, hi!" I said. I turned to Draco and said, "Shoo, it's girl talk time. I'll talk to you later." He gave me a look and walked off, most likely to find Blaise.

"I can't be around you anymore," Astoria said. My smile dropped instantly.

"Why is that?" I asked. I patted the seat next to me for Astoria to sit. She shook her head and gave me her explanation.

"Pansy knows that I talk to you a lot and she is bullying me more because of it. She calls me weak and useless and I hate it so much. My friends don't want to be around me anymore because they know Pansy will bully them too. Pansy said she would stay away from me if I stayed away from you. I'm sorry, Thea."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Astoria. If that will keep her away from you, then so be it," I said sadly. A small tear formed in the corner of my eye just listening to her. I really like Astoria. She's a sweet girl and doesn't deserve this. "I wish you luck with your friends and Bryce. You can accomplish anything."

Astoria gave me one last look and left me alone with my thoughts. I contemplated what I'm going to do next and eventually got up and went to my dorm. I grabbed my journal and wrote another entry in it.

 _Dear Unknown,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't written sooner. A lot has happened. Draco and I have gotten pretty damn close. Almost as close and Braxton and I were before the accident. Willa and Blaise have been spending a lot more time to together. I wonder if something has happened and I am too self-absorbed in my own little world to realize that my own best friend is dating her crush. God damn, I'm so out of touch with reality. I feel like everything is fitting together yet falling apart. I need to have a girls night with Willa, Maeva, and Adi. Maybe then I can make some sense of what's going on right now._

A few days later, I found myself surrounded by my girls. Ever since my 'come-to-Jesus' journal entry, I've been talking to Draco a little bit less and my girls a bit more. We were sitting in the Slytherin Common Room because Niall Abescu, our male seventh-year prefect, called a house meeting. I was gossiping with them before the meeting until he called us all to attention.

"Hello, Slytherins. We have a few housekeeping things to go over. Professor Snape has requested that more people are present at Quidditch games. There has been a severe deficit in our representation over the past few years. As well, please do not go around spreading the password and location of our common room. It is a Slytherin save haven. I caught a second year Ravenclaw trying to enter the room two days ago. That is all from me, but I am opening up the floor to housemate suggestions." Abescu glanced around the room and picked on the one hand that was raised. I couldn't make out whose it was.

"I have an announcement," came the voice of no other than Pansy Parkinson. _Well fuck,_ I thought. _Who decided that pugs can speak? "_ I have been made aware that a fellow housemate of ours has committed an atrocious act that must be handled accordingly. Does anyone know the name Braxton Elsword?" My head shot up at that. Where is she going with this? "I am assuming you know that last name, for it is the name of our dearest housemate, Anthea Elsword. Braxton is her brother. A year and a half ago, he was forced into a coma by his graceless sister. She caused him to fall off a broom from a large height and it resulted in severe brain damage. Braxton will be disabled because of an inexcusable act by his darling sister." Murmurs flooded the room. The more I heard the more tears fell down my cheeks. "Actually, he may never wake up from his coma. Anthea Elsword killed her brother and got away with it."


	12. Chapter 12

Everything was muted. I recognized someone yanking me out of my seat and dragging me to a dorm. I felt like a rag doll being controlled against my will and I had no real control over my limbs. I was placed on a bed and I felt hands on either side of my head. Someone was saying my name. Draco. It was Draco saying my name.

"Thea? Anthea? Talk to me gorgeous," he said looking right at me. My vision focused in on his face as my head made sense of the situation. Pansy's words started flooding back into my head. _"Anthea Elsword killed her brother and got away with it."_

"Oh my god. She knows about Braxton. They know. They all know." I burst into tears. "I killed him. He's not going to wake up because I got too cocky and made a mistake. I did this. It's all my fault." Draco pulled me against his chest and rocked me back and forth. Willa and Maeva tried comforting me as I kept crying. I don't understand why this happening.

Maeva placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Niall is trying to calm down the room. You can't let Pansy control you. She is, and always will be, a bitch."

Willa added on, "Yeah, no one will think different of you. No one likes her anyways."

I sniffled and tried to regain my composure before saying, "Thanks guys, I really appreciate you all." I sat up and wiped away the tears left on my face. I let out a breath and laughed at the situation. "You know, I never thought that this day would come. I thought that I could hide Braxton away from Hogwarts until he woke up. I always imagined him coming here and being sorted into Slytherin and him being friends with you guys. I just miss talking to him."

"Do you have a picture of him?" Maeva asked. I reached into my bag that Willa had brought up and grabbed one of the only pictures I keep with me from home. It is the two of us from the Christmas from before everything went shit. We are sitting by the tree in matching pajamas. I have a huge bow on my head and Brax is pointing at me and we are both laughing. I smile at the memory and pass it off to Maeva. "You guys look really happy," she whispered. Since looking at the picture, my tears had stopped. Braxton has always had a calming affect me.

"Thanks, guys, you are the best. Is everyone still downstairs?" I asked standing up and stretching.

Draco peeked his head out the door and looked back at us. "Yes, the majority of the house is downstairs. Parkinson and her accomplices seem to have left."

I took a deep breath in and replied, "Okay. They all know about Braxton, but they need to know what happened from me. It's my story. I am going to tell it." My best friends looked at me like I grew a new head.

"Are you shitting me?" Draco asked. I was surprised that even came out of his mouth.

"No, I'm not shitting you. I need to take control of my life. She doesn't control me. After hearing about Astoria, Pugsy doesn't have the right to control anyone's view of me. I am strong and I am an Elsword. I can do this," I said firmly. I then whispered, "Braxton would want me to do this." I took a deep breath and walked out of the dormitory with the others in tow. I walked down the stairs to my peers. They all ceased their whispering as soon as I walked down the stairs.

"On August 19th, 1980, my mother gave birth to twins, a boy, and a girl. My brother, Braxton, was born 10 minutes before I was and held that above my head every single minute of my life." I took a breath and continued, "We lived up north and attended Durmstrang until our third year. During my last year there, I was on a Quidditch team in our area and I was good. I mean good, I was one hell of a chaser. Braxton and I were practicing with a good friend and we were egging each other on. To throw farther, harder. We were fiercely competitive. I - I got too zealous. I threw a quaffle too hard and he had to reach to grab it and fell. I was too late to save him. He fell so hard and so quick and I didn't know what was happening until he hit the ground.

"He was admitted to St. Mungo's and proceeded to fall into a coma. He has been there since. Yes, there is a chance he will not wake up," I said as a single tear rolled down my cheek. "Braxton is my brother. He is my best friend and I miss him very dearly. His accident has been the darkest part of my life and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him. I never tried to deceive you; I never wanted the pity. Brax wouldn't want it either. Hell, if he can hear our conversations, he would agree. I am very sorry for my actions and I hope this doesn't change your view of me." As I finished my speech I looked at my feet in submission, waiting for the outrage.

To my surprise, a little second year who I have tutored before spoke up. "I don't think anything is different. When I was younger, I accidentally had a magic outburst and hurt my little sister. I knew I couldn't control it and it was an accident. You aren't any different."

I smiled at him and muttered a thank you. A few more of my kids spoke up and then the room burst into statements of reassurance. I felt the waterworks start again so I quickly wiped away any trace of the tears. Draco pulled me to his side and cleared his throat. The room silenced.

"If for some reason, there is an issue with the situation at hand, then it will be taken up with me and possibly Professor Snape. Any complaints?" he challenged. One voice said something.

"Yeah, I do," Nott scoffed. "Why the hell should we treat her all nicely because her brother is almost dead? We are Slytherin, we cut down the weak."

Draco opened his mouth but I beat him to it. "Nott, I never asked to be treated nicely. I only asked for my reputation to not be based on my brother's accident. Is that really what you think of Slytherin? You think that we cut down the weak? We are ambitious. We are resourceful. We use each other to build each other up. We strive for excellence and use our, and other's, strengths to achieve that. Your twisted view of Slytherin doesn't belong here."

Another voice cut in: "Mr. Nott, I hate taking points away from my house but if it must be so, I shall do it. Ten points from Slytherin for your outrageous assumptions." I turned and found the looming figure of Snape in the doorway to the common room. "It is near curfew and you all are being too loud. Quiet down and do something productive. This house meeting has gone on too long. Ms. Elsword, your view on Slytherin is well put. Twenty points to Slytherin. Good night." His cloak billowed after him as he exited the room.

Nott scoffed and stalked off to his room. After that whole altercation, we all dispersed to our dorms. It was getting late. Some of the upper years stayed in the common area so that they could group study for OWLS. Willa and Maeva went off to their respective dorms. Draco and I took a spot on the love seats in front of the fireplace. My fiery red hair was splayed out on one of the arms and my legs were on his lap. I looked at him with tired eyes and said, "Well, that was an experience."

"No kidding, how are you still awake? I would be exhausted at this point," he said. I nodded at him and yawned. My head fell against the backside of the seat and my eyes drifted closed. I ended falling asleep to the soft roar of the fireplace and mild chatter of the room. I slept for about an hour and, by the time I woke up, the room was empty. I heard footsteps coming into the room so I kept my eyes closed.

A deep voice spoke to Draco, "Mr. Malfoy, you know that you need to be in your own common rooms at this point in the night."

"She has had a rough few hours, Professor Snape. I decided to let her sleep," Draco replied, identifying the voice.

"You shouldn't get used to the peace - it will end soon." he said eerily. "You have a future that has been set for you and her since birth. It will come soon enough."

Draco sighed and said, "I know. I don't want to tell her but it would be best to let her know sooner rather than later. I am not looking forward to that reaction." _What the bloody hell are they talking about?_ I asked myself. I readjusted in my "sleep."

I felt a pair of eyes on me and then heard the voice of my potions professor. "It looks as though she may wake soon. Head to your dorms, I don't want to take away more points than I already have today." I heard his robes swish away from us and Draco groan in distress.

I waited a few seconds and then yawned awake. "Good morning, gorgeous," Draco greeted sarcastically.

I gave him a sleepy smile and replied, "Morning. What time is it?"

"Nearly eleven, we need to head up to our dorms." I nodded at him and stood up. "Goodnight, Thea."

"Goodnight, Draco," I said in reply. I went to give him a kiss on the cheek but he turned his head at the last moment and that kiss ended up on his lips instead. _Oh shit._


	13. Chapter 13

My lips briefly brushagainst Draco's. I jumpback in surpriseand manageto stutter out, "O-Oh my god, I didn't-" before I'm interruptedby those same lips on my own. I respondimmediately and - oh -goodness it feelsgood. I absolutely meltinto the kiss.I wouldsay that butterflies erupted in my chest like they say in all those cheesy romance books that my mum reads, but I mainly just feel satisfaction. Kissing Draco feelsright as ifthis is where I ammeant to be. One of his hands is wrappedin my hair and the other is placed around my waist. I restmy hands on his shoulders and kissback with as much fervor as he does. To be honest, it endsa lot sooner than I had hoped it would. We pullaway from each other and I lookup into his eyes. His pupils aredilated.

"I've been waiting to do that." he chuckles.I let out a breathy laugh.

"Yeah?"Draco and I fall back onto the couch.There is no way I am going to sleep anytime soon, I think to myself.Thank god that we leave for Easter tomorrow. "What do we do now?" I ask.

His arm snakesaround mine and pullsme close to him."Well, I say we see where this takes us. Nothing needs to be official. Just know that you are mine and I am yours."

"I agree. Should we tell our parents?"

"Probably.I believe that it will please them."

I lookup to meet his eyes and ask, "This is real, right? No one is putting you up to this?"

He nodshis head."This is all me."I give him a small smile and leaninto him. I begin to nod off until he shakesme awake. "Babe, you need to go to your dorm." I groan, but I know that he's right.

"I'm so lucky to have a guy that prioritizes my needs," I tease him as I stretch and rise up off of the couch. "Goodnight, Draco," I say,offering hima sleepy smile and a quick peck beforeheadingto bed.

"Goodnight, Anthea," he murmurs softly - dare I say lovingly? - behind meas I walk away. My heart skips a beat.

When I wake up, I amgreeted by the gentle lapping of water against the windows from the lake. I stretchout my limbs before addressing the rats nest on my head; ultimately, I end up tyingitinto a messy bun. I slipon a semi decent and comfortable outfit fit for traveling, then continuewith my typical routine for a trip home. Luckily, Ipacked mytrunk last night, so all I haveto do thismorning isput last minute items in and head to breakfast. I skipand smilemy way down to the common room while thinking about last night. The room isfairly empty, save for a few first years, Willa, and Maeva. I dragmy trunk over to my girls and give a huge smile.

"Good morning! Big plans for this break?" I ask.

Willa nods."Mum, father, and I are visiting my gran in Italy."

"I wish," Maeva chimes in."I'm staying home. Maybe you and I could go to Diagon Alley over the break, Thea?"

"I would love that!I'll be at Malfoy Manor for a better part of the break, but I'm sure I can get away for a day."

"You've been spending a lot of time with Malfoy junior.Is something going on there?" Willa askswith raised eyebrows.

"Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to see. Now,I can feel my stomach trying to eat itself. Let's go get breakfast," I say,grabbing the handle of my trunk with one hand and Nerida's kitten carrier with the other. I left my items with the rest of Slytherin's trunks outside the Great Hall,then ventureinto the said hall and find a spot seated next tomy favorite blond.

"Good morning,Draco," I greet him.

"Good morning to you, too," he saysback. I greethis friends while digging into the food lining the tables. As I munchon my muffin, I thinkabout how Draco and I will tell our parents of our exploration of our feelings for each other. I steala glance at the blondand, much to my surprise, he was looking at me too. I blushand turnback to my plate. I feelhis hand ghost over my knee before resting mid-thigh. I jumpa bit but keepeating while he talksto Blaise.

Soon enough,it'stime to board the carriages that will take us to board the trains to take us home. I boardthe train and find a compartment with Draco, Blaise, Willa, and Maeva. It'sa fairly peaceful ride. We all havesmall conversations between ourselves about our plans for the holidays. As I stepoff the train, I amgreetedby the Mum Squad. I swear these women have no other point in their livesother than to drink wine, mingle, and shit talk their husbands. This squad involves my mum, Narcissa Malfoy, Gianna Parkinson, Catherine Crabbe, Freya Goyle,Isla Mercado, Reyna Clare, and Mila Boone. They are ledby Narcissa as she is a part of the illustrious Malfoy clan. These women head the pureblood community and it is very difficult to work your way into their ranks,but once you do, you are guarded for life.

"Anthea! Dear, I missed you so much," my mum says,hugging me. I heara chorus of similar phrases from the other mums.

"I missed you, too, Mum. How's Braxton?" I whisperthe last part.

"Well, I have some good news! He twitched a finger the other day during his therapy. The healers are taking this as a positive sign that he still has a chance ofwakingup."

I almost let a out a cry of joy. Instead, I give my mother a huge hug and exclaim, "Oh, fantastic! I can't wait to tell Alex." I glanceover at Draco and seethat he hasa small smile on his face. I give him a huge smile in return and lookback at my mum."Hey, I need to go talk to Draco. I'll see you at Malfoy Manor."

Mum gave me that all-mum-knowing smile."Of course, dear.I'll be there waiting."

I smileback at her and make my way to Draco and Mrs. Malfoy. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy.How are you today?"

"Anthea, as I have told you before, call me Narcissa. However,I am wonderful. How are you faring?" she inquireswith a polite smile.

"I am fantastic, Narcissa. Do you mind if I steal your son awayfor a few moments? We will meet you and my mum at the manor." Draco raises an eyebrow at my request.

"I don't mind at all. Have fun you two!" She walksoff and joinsmy mum at the fireplaces to Flooto her home. Although, sometimes, I think it'smore of a house rather than a home. A homeis cozy, warm, and inviting. The manor is rarely like that.

I pullDraco to the side and throwmy arms around him."Braxton is starting to show promising signs of waking up!" He tightenshis arms around me and spinsme around.

"That's amazing, Thea," he saysgenuinely.

"As excited as I am about that, we stillneed to make a game plan for telling our parents about us," I sayseriously while gesturing between us.

"I agree. Let's just sit them down when get to the manor," he replies.

"Sounds good. Are you sure that they will be okay with this?" I worry aloud.

He gives me a reassuring smile."Of course they will be. My mum loves you. My father will be pleased because you have a pure bloodline anda strong social status."

"If you say so," I say. I linkmy arm with his and wavea last good bye to my girls before we headoff to Floo home.

As I stepthrough the emerald flames into the grey, cold interior of the glamorous Malfoy manor, I tryto remember how I got here. How did hisinterrogation on the train ride at the beginning of the year lead to us kissing before Easter holidays? We didn't have a typical relationship to begin with. I was very hostile towards him. I have always been very headstrong and wanted to decide my future but there he was, in all his blondglory, trying to get me to become a forever wine-drunk housewife. Thankfully, he has changed since then. However, he still argues with Potter. If there was one thing that I could change about Draco, it would be that. I swear he loves complaining about Potter more than he loves saying, "My father will hearabout this." I shakeaway thattrain of thought and walkthrough the halls with Dracoto reachthe sitting room where our families wait.

Draco greetshis father and asksour parents if we cantalk to them. I remainquiet the entire time. Should I really being doing this? I question myself.This is just me setting myselfup to be the perfect little housewife. What if that'sall thatDraco wants?

Draco's voice cuts into my thought process."Mum, father, Mrs.Elsword-Anthea and Ihave somethingthat we would like to tell you." He glancesover at me, urging me to continue. Well, it's too late now,I despair.

I plasteron a smile and announce,"After spending a great deal of time together in the past year, Draco and I have decided to pursue a romantic relationship with each other." As soon as I say"romantic", my mum and Narcissa smilegleefully.

"Oh, thank goodness!" my mum cheers. She reachesover and grabsNarcissa's hand. The latter looksat us with joy. Mr. Malfoy also appears satisfied with our news.

"Draco," Lucius begins, acknowledgingonly his son. "I am pleased that you have taken it upon yourself to become involved with Miss Elsword prior to the announcement of your official engagement. I am certain that it will prove quite advantageous in the eyes of the public when the time comes."

"Excuse me?" I blanch.The fuck did this white ass bitch just say?

"I am referring to the commitment that our families have made to marry you and my son," he explainsas though as it is the most obvious thing in the world. I shoot a narrow gaze atDraco.

"Did you know about this?" I demand.

"Thea - I," Dracostammers.

"It doesn't requirea long ass reply, dimwit. It'seither a yes or a no. Tell me right now, did you know?" I growl.

"Anthea Mayra!" my mother scolds.

"Not now, Mum. This prat better reply before he doesn't live long enough to be married," I threaten.

Draco sighs regretfully."Yes, Anthea, I knew of our engagement. I promise-" he triesto get out before I cut him off.

"You knew? Oh god, you don't even have feelings for me, do you? This is just some sick little power play so that you will have a subservient wife with a powerful last name." I spit out eachwordas soon as my thoughts form."How the hell did this even happen?" I barkatthe three adults in the room who have been observingmego off.

"Anthea, dear, you have a prophecy," my mum says softly.

With those words, everything freezes. A prophecy, a prophecy - it repeats in my head every millisecond. My body stiffens. The room spins. My vision fizzles out. My breath stops.

Hello to my few readers! I really appreciate y'all who have read this through my sparse updates. I promise I'm trying to get some stuff up soon! So I have some bad news, I have decided to stop updating on here and only update on Quotev. While yes, Quotev is a ratchet and not very often used site, it is where I write all my chapters and it's the easiest to make changes how I see fit. So if you want to keep reading as I update, check there! If not, once I complete this story or finish the year (lemme know if I should make each year its own story or make one big conglomerate with all three years!) I will post it on each site accordingly. So sorry! Please review and give some ideas and suggestions.

Thank you lovies!

Quotev: @liviaellen

Wattpad: @oliviaellen

FanFiction: @liviaxellen


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